Empaths
by yksinainen susi
Summary: Phoebe Halliwell has acquired the power of empathy. This is her struggle to survive gaining control over it and hopefully without scathing her loved ones in the process. We find her at an all-time low, and the demons The Charmed Ones face prove wholesome in comparison to her inner demons. Set between Valhalley Of The Dolls and Forget Me Not.
1. This is Why I Don't Leave The Basement

_Chapter 1:_ _"This is why I stay in the basement." _

Phoebe Halliwell had taken to spending the majority of her days in the basement of the Halliwell Manor, working on her advice column, or so she insisted on believing. Although just beneath that coat of denial lay what invariably lay beneath every woman's make-up; the God honest truth. She was hiding, if not avoiding the whole of humanity for the crux of the matter was that she had received a new power, Phoebe Halliwell was now an Empath.

"Dammit" Phoebe sighed, she felt it before she heard it, for that is how it had been this past week, her senses had become virtually obsolete in detecting ones approach, and she missed that luxury of being tipped off by creaky floorboards or the scent of tea, but that had all become subsequent, for now she felt it first.

Apprehension, enough apprehension to drive a woman mad and she was halfway there. Piper was capable of harboring a whole lot of emotion, even so this was titanic by comparison which only meant Paige had accompanied her.

Just breath Phoebe, clear your mind, focus on your work she chanted internally, what little good it did to stop her from noting ever degree of surmounting trepidation within her.

"Phoebe its just Paige and I, we've come to see if your still alive down there." Piper shouted sardonically rapping on the basement door, though she was deeply concerned about Phoebe.

Phoebe was her little sister and above all that was something to protect. For once she had been living a marginally normal life, at least as marginally normal as an advice columnist moonlighting as a witch could manage, but this new power had brought it all to a dead halt and Piper could only think of Prues experience and cling desperately to Leos words, that unlike Prue, it was Phoebes destiny to become an Empath. Still yet Leo had informed the power had debuted earlier than intended and that was the clause she did not particularly care for, for there was always fine print with magic and it was in Pipers nature to let her imagination envision every possible outcome, however unsavory.

Elbowing Piper in the manner had any stranger dared, it would be at the hazard of being promptly blown to smithereens, "Stop that." Paige tisked, attempting to be quiet as she gave Piper a mindful glance.

"What?" Piper returned helplessly.

"No strong emotions, remember?" Paige reminded to Pipers look of utter innocence.

"Did-ya not get the memo? Phoebes an empath now." Paige added dryly.

Paige had decreed after the initial rough patch Phoebe would be just fine, in fact she knew their wasn't a more perfectly tailored heart to become an Empath than that which resided in Phoebe Halliwell. The woman was compassionate, caring, sympathetic, accessible, amicable and a dozen other things that made this power a perfect fit. She was also Paiges big sister, courageous, a fighter against all adversity, had once shown her the ropes and possessed several characteristics namely empathy, of which Phoebe had quite the natural penchant for before it was amplified into a power that Paige sought to emulate. In any case the woman just needed a pep talk, some San Francisco air and a reality check and Phoebe would be on her affable way once again.

Piper and Paige made their way descent into Phoebes subterrainean habit. Unbenounced to them, their thoughts in communion on some level, foremost they were used to storming through the manner a la Devil may care, granted that was usually the case, but rather they were both treading down the rickety old staircase with all the reverence of passing through a cathedral.

Phoebe didn't waste a single moment in burying her face in her hands, where she could at least attain the semblance of moderate privacy whilst succumbing to her nerves or rather Piper and Paiges.

"Phoebe?" Paige hadn't intended it to resound as a question but nevertheless it had.

"Stop." Phoebe quavered out, wishing she could orb to the most remote island on Earth or otherwise.

"Sweetie you can't live like this" Piper stated sympathetically, or so she thought.

"Piper please, enough animosity already" Phoebe sighed, pressing her french mannicured fingertips into her temples.

"Animosity?" Piper echoed incredulously.

"I know I haven't been able to watch Wyatt or help out around the house, and I'm sorry, believe me I am, but I can't take this. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe the Elders where wrong, maybe I wasn't ready for all this." Phoebe rushed out, and it was hardly a surprise that it felt good to confide in her sisters, something she'd been bereft of since she enforced this isolation.

"Animosity, Right." Piper drawled in disbelief flourishing an indignant hand and looking to Paige for assistance as it clapped back down on her thigh.

"It's not a mistake honey." Paige started drawing a step closer and halting for Phoebe started back involuntarily. "Paige Please." Phoebe stated with a measure of pleading in her soft soprano. "Alright we're just-" "Worried? Trust me I know." Phoebe interjected taking in a deep breath in an effort to detour a full blown panic attack.

"Yea worried." Paige confirmed slowly, hardly used to having her emotions declared by anyone but herself. "We understand what it's like to have a new power Phoebe, it can be scary when you aren't sure of how it works, but it's also exciting. Look at all the good it's already done, that alone is proof positive you were meant to be an empath." Paige assured.

Attempting to hear Paiges words words much less take them to heart over the blaring emotions, Phoebe could not have felt more defeated. Suddenly Phoebe looked up and between the two "Are either of you feeling-" Her breath was taken away and she lurched back, her hand clapping over her chest.

"Phoebe?" Piper inquired warily.

Phoebe could not speak, she new her sisters where in danger, she could feel her emotions rapidly being submerged to accommodate the overwhelming hostility she was channeling. In her desperation, with the remainder of her fleeting self she forced herself to frantcically jot down as many words on the paper beneath her before it was too late.

Her hand was already rebelling and her pennmanship was something like that of a doctor, who was on the bumpiest train ride of his life, parrelling the fact that within a matter of seconds she had derailed completely. Something a graphologist might have deduced in a moments glance.

Right before their very eyes Phoebe dematerialized.

"Did she just shimmer out?!" Paige cried in disbelief.

"Phoebe can't shimmer, demons shimmer, phoebes not a demon, ergo Phoebe can't shimmer!" Rushing out this faulty syllogism in alarm, Piper hastened her advance to the desk.

"Maybe she was summoned" Piper surmised.

"Does that look even remotely similar to someone being summoned?" Paige returned rhetorically, just as her eyes fell over the note pad on Phoebes desk.

"This doesn't look like any advice Phoebe would give to her readers. 'Demon, House, Now, Furio-" Paige read aloud.

"No but to us." Piper sighed, then looking to Paige, "Apparently there's a furious demon in our house right now." she informed.

They hastened to quit the basement.

"But she shimmered, how did she shimmer?"

"I don't know maybe she was channeling the demons powers, we'll figure that out later" Piper replied steadily prioritizing her thoughts.

Having a tactical meeting at the top of the staircase, "I'll freeze him and if he doesn't freeze I'll blow him up, if anything I'll hold him off long enough or you to orb to the attic and get the vanquishing potion." Piper informed to the translucent particals of Paige nodding surely as she orbed out.

Rounding the corners like a Navy Seal on a covert op whilst securing the premises, Piper recalled the days of her formative years. prior to magic when she simply walked through houses, the very height of peril she might meet in the simple venture, a stubbed toe.

"Why should I trust you" Came a low growl out of the living room from the blackguard. Piper immediately drew into the corner, behind the dinning room threshold.

"Because I'll crush you if you don't" It was Phoebes voice, you tell him Piper thought. "If we work together you stand a chance, I know how they work, and we will avenge our brother if you listen to me" Phoebe informed. What the hell was she talking about?Helping a demon? Piper peered round the corner, what in the devil, Phoebe and the Pressure Demon were standing face to face several paces apart, each with the ghostly white mist whirling about in their right hands. They were in a stale mate, knowing if one fired so to would the other and both would die the excruciating death of compression, that white whorl crushing every bone in the body like being hit by a barreling train.

Phoebe had not only channeled his power, she was channelling all the rage he was projecting, for The Charmed Ones did in fact vanquish his brother Septimus last week, Sanctus having shimmered out just in time, and now Sanctus had come with a vengeance.

"Paige" Piper whispered, pulling her back, as she managed to orb in just in front of her.

All of the sudden they heard the sound of what mirrored the engine of a 747 igniting.

"I think they saw me" Paige admitted abashedly.

"Ya think?" Piper retorted relieving Paige of one of the two bottles of a rather charming hued magenta vanquishing potion. It was odd they never put dye in those potions and yet after all those crazy roots and spices they brewed to concoct the amalgams it would appear it was no more than water and any colored corn syrup readily available in the baking aisle of your local Safeway.

"You will pay for what you've done to Septimus!" Phoebe hissed out of sight. The Pressure Power beginning to demolish the wall just behind Piper and Paige.

"Phoebe we're your sisters dammit!" Paige cried.

"She's not really helping you Sanctus she's just an empath having fallen victim to your emotional baggage you goon." Piper stated in a sing-song taunting tone.

Piper and Paige were now stepping slowly back towards the kitchen.

"If you don't remember she helped us vanquish Septimus, but really it was Septimus' fault, couldn't think clearly with all that rage, and you didn't protect him, you let your brother die. We have higher morals concerning family around here!" Piper mocked to Paiges shock. Pulling Piper by the arm "Do you intend on killing Phoebe?!" Paige whispered harshly.

"No but powers are emotionally based and if we can get him to feel pain rather than rage he might not crush us to death and it might give Phoebe a second to realize what the hell she's doing!"

"I like how you think" Paige returned wrly then, "Sanctus I'd be delighted to offer you the names of some grief counslers I know. They do a bang up job in helping homicidal maniacs, more specifically those whom are emotional wrecks for having offered their brother up on a silver platter for the Chamred Ones to vanquish!" Paige informed, shouting over the splintering wood. "You killed him Sanctus!" She added.

The whirlwind began to falter. Currently a guilt trip seemed an ample plan to foil the machinations of The Pressure Demon and Phoebes imposed ploy of the same nature.

"Phoebe Halliwell would you have Wyatt grow up knowing that his mother and auntie Paige were killed by aunt Phoebe! You realize that the moment you compress us to death your going to require more therapy than this world has to offer!"

Piper declared, and suddenly the "747 engine" was sputtering pathetically.

"Now" Paige implored, and Piper and Paige ran for the living room. "Chair!" just as Paige was planning to orb a chair into the Pressure Demons head to disscombobulate him she redirected it in the nick of time so it did no more harm than smash into the wall.

Piper and Paige could hadly believe what they saw. The Pressure Demon and Phoebe where in eachothers arms, crying, a galvanizing torrnado that was nearly pulling the pictures off the walls swirling about them.

"Let it out Sanctus" Phoebe enjoined sympathetically her head resting on the breast of his weathered trench coat.

"We'd gone over the strategy a million times and the fool didn't listen." Sanctus' voice caught ruefully as he reminised.

"What the hell did we just do?" Paige asked in shocked tone that shook Piper out of her bemused trance. "Bought ourselves time?" She surmised uncertainly. "In any case I think that's a sheild." she whispered then, shouting towards Phoebe and Sanctus, "Isn't it so sad that Septimus will no longer be able to wreak havoc along your side Sanctus?" she remarked in order to keep the duo grief stricken whilst Paige and her dreampt up a plan. Pheobe and Sanctus looked at Piper and nodded simultatiously with pouty expressions before they gave way to tears in eachothers arms once more.

"This is ridiculous." Paige said out of the side of her mouth.

"Tell me something I don't know. The point is it's working. If you can orb that sheild thing away, I'll freeze their hands and that should stem the power souce. Then we can throw the vanquishing potion and call it day." Piper contrived.

"What about Phoebe?"

"She's a witch remember?"

"Right. Well it's worth a try" Paige concured. "Loud ass tornadoy thing!" Paige called and to her surprise the thing began to augment into those Neon Aquamarine particals that meant a job well done, notwithstanting the completely eronous title she'd given it. Piper threw a hand up, to freeze their hands, and Paige orbed out the whirlwind, it had worked.

Realizing they had been wildly side tracked from their modus operandi "No!" Phoebe and Sanctus growled at once, realizing the bind they were in with their hands frozen .

"Piper threw the vanquishing potion and Paige went for Phoebe, pulling her back by the waist as Sanctus gave the tell tale shriek that certified he was infact in a senseless sort of agony as the flames crept up around his ankles, then slithered up to his knees.

Phoebe cried out in pain, railing agaist the grip of her sisters, for Piper had taken to restraining her as well. And with one final cry Sanctus was no more, or rather a quadrillion little pieces _then _no more. They should have expected the destruction of the Pressure Demon would supply enough brunt to knock them on their asses, however they did not and they'd all been taken to the ground in a heap on appendages and designer clothing.

"What were you thinking!" Piper reproached. Phoebes head fell back on her elder sisters shoulder, her lips parted. She sobbed silently, feeling more grief than anyone should have the voilition to survive.

"Phoebe" Paige sighed compassionatley, taking Phoebe into her arms while Piper testily rose to her feet asseing the damage that gave her cause to wonder why ever did she dump loads of money into ordering new furniture or dedicate time in enslaving Leo to repair the breakage that occured weekly in this poor house.

"Where did you orb that thing" Piper inquired distractedly, performing a slow 360 to behold the collateral damage that came with magic.

"Into the middle of the Pacific Ocean." Paige replied.

"You better hope we didn't just ruin someones cruise." Piper retorted sardonically.

Paige eyed Phoebes hands quizzically, they where yet to be freed from suspended animation, one appearing as if shaking a hand and the other as if holding a fireball.

"Piper her hands are still frozen."

Piper turned immediatly, "Oh, oh no." Piper gasped with a twist of the hand. Phoebes hands re-animated and made a b-line for her face.

Piper could not stay irritated upon seeing Phoebe so inconsolable and knelt down before her, placing hand on her knee.

The action triggered a premontion, its continents cringe-worthy.

More specifically a glimpse into the very recent past and Phoebe saw in a rapid concurrence of images the entire situation from a nonpartisan vantage point.

"Phoebe what did you see?" Paige inquired warily

"Oh my gosh, I-" Phoebe could hardly proccess this revelation and was looking at Piper with a confounded expression.

"Its alright" Piper chuckled sympathetically, following Phoebes line of sight to the pile of ash behind her, as her fingers curled several long skiens of her hair behind left her ear.

"Poor guy" Phoebe sighed solemnly. She was still reeling over the event and it pierced her spirit soundly. "His heart was broken." she added.

Paige didn't know how Phoebe did it, but she did infact cause Paige to feel a trifles remorse for Sanctus.

"You gonna be alight?" Paige asked.

"No, I nearly cost you two your lives."

"Well the point is you didn't, and believe it or not, your power of empathy just inadvertently helped us vanquish the remaining Pressure Demon, so it was well worth the near death experience." Piper mused with a pang of fear coupled with concern about this whole empath thing.

"This is why I stay in the basement." Phoebe sighed at length.


	2. Chapter 2 Does that make me incestuous?

_**Empaths **_

_A/N: Chapter 3 should come mid week in pentinance for my tardiness in posting Chapter 2. Please take a moment to review, even if your not in the habit of doing so Enjoy._

Chapter 2:_ "Oh, oh no, does that make me incestuous? I'm not just so you know, and I'm not gay, not that there's any sort of problem with that"_

Reinstating her hibernation from society, Phoebe had once again descended into the basement.

"Until she learns how to control it maybe this whole basement thing isn't such a bad idea. Phoebe was right its dangerous." Piper supplied from her stool at the kitchen counter with Paige pacing opposite her.

"You do realize we're talking about empathy here? It's virtually impossible to be empathetic when your all alone." Paige stated folding her long porcelain arms over her abdomen.

"You got a point there." Piper sighed, continuing "Sooner or later she's going to realize that spending the rest of her natural existence underground is no way to live life."

"I hope it's sooner, we may not be so lucky next time around." Paige said warningly, appalled that Piper appeared a great deal more interested with dipping her celery in her home made vegetable dip, granted it was to die for.

"How" Paige vacillated regarding her with a wave, "How can you be so calm about all this." she huffed.

Planting the celery stick in the dip, Piper considered her squarely. "I'm not calm Paige and I'm not trying to play down what happened an hour ago, I'm just a good actor." She admitted stoically. Since Prues death she had assumed the role of the oldest and it was no easy task and gave reason to appreciate Prue all the more on a daily basis. Prue had made it look easy, and after walking several hundred miles in the woman's Jimmy Choo's Piper would be the first to admit it was anything but that. Nevertheless it was her job to remain the pillar of strength and keep her head on straight when life was crumbling around her if not for her family than for the greater good. And apparently she'd done a bang up job if it cause Paige to draw the conclusion she regarded Phoebes situation apathetically, and that would never do.

"I've been worried sick about her" Piper conceded. "She's not like us Paige, she's always been extremely vulnerable and believe me I know what might of happened if she didn't just shimmer into the sitting room."

"I know which is why I plan to sort all this out" Paige stated confidently.

"And how do you intend to do that?" Piper smiled partly because mastering ones powers was a one man job and partly because Paiges most endearing quality was that she was always ready to take the initiative.

"I'm not sure yet, but I'll let you know when I am." Paige nodded surely already motioning to exit.

"No spells Paige" Piper stated arching a brow. Paige rolled her eyes and made her way to the attic.

After having aquatinted with your fair share of seers, gypsy fortune tellers, physics of every kind, shaman and empaths it was hard to view her intuition as anything out of the ordinary, however Paige was not one to ignore her instincts and currently they where telling that tact and formality where the only things keeping Piper from coming out with it and Phoebe simply did not wish to upset her sisters. In any case the fact of the matter was that Phoebe was compromised emotional and a danger to the household. Even though Paige couldn't fault her for either still yet that was their current reality and she wasn't about to sweep it under the rug and pretend everything was hunky dory. Measures needed to be taken and she bent over The Book Of Shadows in hopes to suss out just what those lengths might be.

"Leo" Phoebe called for the third time, meandering over the dust laden planks of the sparsely dressed basement. Piper had banished the man and apparently he had taken the edict to heart. "Leo, it's just me, I won't breath a word of it to Piper" she coaxed, always having felt slightly ridiculous when she realized it was this behavior that lead to the normal persons diagnosis of Skitzophrenia. "Now your just being rude." she whispered reproachfully. "Dammit Leo I need you help."

"Phoebe what's the matter" Leo hastened to ascertain.

Phoebe spun on her heel, wondering whether Whitelighers took delight in startling their charges or simply had terrible aim.

"About time" Phoebe stated tersely giving his arm a slap, then relenting, "It's good to see you Leo, I miss having you around." She stated earnestly looking up into his eyes.

"I miss being around." Leo stated with a sad little smile, taking in his surroundings. He'd come from heaven, supposedly a perfect place, but things weren't perfect without Piper and heaven was hell without his little ones, and notwithstanding the dingy old basement, it all felt so right, this would always be home, for home is where the heart is.

"Leo I'm sorry, it must be so hard for you to be away from your family" Phoebe divined.

"You'll never know" Leo returned wistfully.

"I wish Piper could feel this, to know how deeply you love her." Phoebe was getting choked up, she felt such unrequited passion, and love in its purist form. "It's beautiful Leo" She said softly through misted eyes.

Leos mind was flooded with memories, the times he'd cleaned this old basement out, played hide and seek with Wyatt down here, and then looking at that dilapidated sofa, leaning, if not held up against the far left wall. He recalled that singular occasion and every creak that resounded from those exasperated box springs and furthermore why it was rather literally on its last leg. It had been there that such a level of ardent depravity was wrought no angel should have rightfully admitted to being capable of indulging, much less enjoying, scratch that, had lost his very mind. And just the visage of that abused piece of house wear caused his loins to hum in nostalgic passion, at any rate it had quantified just how deprived the man was, for that is where Piper and he had gotten downright-

Overcome by this mind numbing masculine ache, a fiery fusion of arousal, primitive barbarism and deep set love, Phoebe involuntarily threw her shapely arms about Leo Wyatt's stocky neck. With a fevered haste they traced down his jaw line and suddenly her lips where pressed against his and she was kissing, rather attacking Leo.

For a moment Leo could not blame Piper, spells, nor potions but utter shock as the reason he was frozen stiff.

"Piper" Phoebe stated breathily without breaking the "kiss".

The second he was able Leo orbed out immediately, but in no way did her leave, he simply reappeared several safe paces behind Phoebe.

"Oh my gosh!" Phoebe cried clapping a hand over her mouth.

"Phoebe"

Phoebe jumped forward completely unnerved, turning toward she saw the smudges of red lipstick #84 all over his this lips, it was like looking at someone with a lazy eye, in no way do you mean to stare at it but in no way can you stare at anything else.

"That wasn't me, that was you, I was channeling you, you feeling for Piper, oh, oh no, does that make me incestuous? I'm not just so you know, and I'm not gay, not that there's any sort of problem with that, I had my times like any other college kid, but I'm not gay for Piper, I'm-"

"Phoebe" Leo chuckled nervously knowing this was completely his fault and that phoebe and he were no different from siblings and there was nothing sexy about kissing your sister, hence that nostalgic arousal was snuffed the moment there lips met.

"It's all right" he added, now chuckling with amusement for having realized how absurd this all was, moreover due to the fact Phoebe had crept timidly behind her desk like it was some sort of barricade in the manner compliant perps do when an officer says step away from the weapon.

Leo closed his eyes for a moment to ascertain his emotions where in check, opening them when nothing compromising was to be found.

"I don't bite Phoebe" he stated passively.

"Yea but I do. How could you come down here all hot and bothered like that don't they allow you know _handle_ those things up there, it is heaven after all." Phoebe rambled pointing an accusatory finger at Leo.

She could feel the chagrin flushing her cheeks and shook her head shamefully. There was nothing to channel, no more to feel than her own distress, and regardless of her unbridled power or not she felt as if she had defiled something sacred, although it had been something as mind bending as Leo kissing Leo but both Leos longing for Piper, which was presently to gross to think of.

"If this continues I will be single handedly paying off a therapists mortgage." she sighed pressing her fingers into the bridge of her nose, with her other hand resting on the desk before her and she wondered if it was holding her up.

"We vanquished The Pressure Demon today."

"That's great, I knew you would be back to your charmed duties."

"No, Leo, it's not, I nearly cost Paige and Piper their lives. I channeled the demons powers and shimmered from here up to the living room, and Leo I got to be honest I lost all control, all I could feel was the blind rage and heart ache Sanctus was projecting. I know you've been out of the loop but we vanquished his brother last week. Anyway, I can't handle this Leo my powers they are all unbalanced, and today it was a wake up call you know. I'm putting them in danger, and God forbid something happens to Wyatt of Chris. I just don't think I'm ready for this yet." Phoebe concluded quietly.

Leo motioned towards her cautiously, his palms open by his side and a soft sympathetic smile placed at the corner of his lips. He couldn't help but wince as Phoebe tucked her head inwardly.

"Come here" he stated softly. She shook her head. "You know if I'm feeling anything."

Phoebe considered him, she felt compassion, love and hope, none of which were overbearing and all of which released a trifle of the tension from her shoulders.

Rounding the desk she strode right into his arms. Hugging Leo was an experience in itself he radiated a singular passive energy that left one feeling as if they'd sat in a warm bath or beneath the sun for a time, it was tranquil and protective, and Phoebe had always assumed it was something Whitelighters emitted. This was meant for Piper, and she rued the thought that inescapable circumstances had managed to estrange the inextricably bound and impede upon a prolific love.

"Your a good witch Phoebe..." Oh no, there's that soft spoken voice, the harbinger onset of motivational speaker mode, "...and one of the strongest woman I know, and you can't lose hope. Your powers are linked with your emotions once you find balance they will too, but you gotta keep fighting for the greater good." Leo was on one of his spiels, and Phoebe kept a rather subtle, totally automated cordial nod in concurrence with his words, as not to offend. If she new one thing, it was that Leo believed every word coming out of his mouth. He meant well, he just so happened to ignore the human equation with all his divine wisdom. "Everything happens for a reason Phoebe, which means you received this power when you were supposed to and I have every faith it will only strengthen the power of the charmed ones." He concluded with his habitual Zen countenance.

Breaking away from the radiating warmth of his embrace, "If there's something your not telling me Leo, something you may know as an Elder you should probably tell me now, because just saying that everything happens for a reason hardly means that that reason is in the favor of the greater good let alone my sisters." Phoebe stated at length.

"All I know is that you were meant to be an empath Phoebe."

And Phoebe hardly required that power whatsoever to know Leo was being less than forthcoming with her. Leo was simply a terrible liar thus she regarded him incredulously.

"There's been rumors circulating around up there." He admitted when he couldn't stand her penetrating gaze a moment further.

"Rumors? Your telling me there's gossip in heaven?" Phoebe laughed in spite of herself cocking her hip as she sunk back on her heels, not meaning to give the impression she was settling in, if she had to, to stand there all day if that's how long it took Leo to come out with whatever he'd heard through the heavenly grapevine.

"Look Phoebe the other Elders have been keeping me in the dark about it because they think I can't be entirely objective when it concerns the Charmed Ones, and they are right." He confessed, catching the sofa in his periphery and promptly flooding his thoughts with his grandmother, Phoebe and his children amidst anything else that halted the launch sequence forthwith.

"That's just great Leo, you think they'd do anything to protect the power of three, by telling me their withholding information from you, your basically telling me they no something is about happen and I doubt it's the fact I save a bunch of innocents with my new power." Phoebe reasoned trying to appear less disheartened than she felt.

"That's not true, it's not that that black and white. The future isn't irrevocable Phoebe if anyone knows that it would be you. They just don't want me getting involved to the point that I alter it." Leo informed falling into a pace. "So they won't tell you anything, but they allowed Chris to come back and alter the future of the entire world over the course of the year." Phoebe huffed incorrigibly, prompting Leo to try that much harder, on count that was a touche if he'd ever heard one.

"See that right there. They allowed Chris to do that to save the future. Whatever lies ahead does not pose that kind of threat Phoebe." He surmised, and Phoebe would have bought it, hadn't she detected the mild doubt he was projecting.

"It's not your fault Leo, I'm just scared you know, it's not like anything I've ever experienced. Premonition, levitation those where dependent on my control, but with this, I'm a victim to whatever the people around me are feeling."

As if on Que. she was feeling a whole lot of heat germinating from the deviant Elder himself at the very moment Leo's eye had caught the hair black tie beneath a collection of gardening tools, more specifically beneath a hoe, an innuendo he might have acknowledge if he wasn't so saintly. He remembered freeing it from Pipers lushious locks with his teeth then spitting it to the ground and Piper giving up her search for it after the fact, but not as much as recalled just why he did it, so he could run his fingers through that beautiful hair, let it twine between each digit and let it ghost over his face while looked up completely taken by the woman he loved. Such mental imagery and the emotions tethered to liven each one of those keepsakes come like a flash of lightening, unfortunately by the time he was cognizant of the thunder clap that came as Phoebe Halliwell senselessly groping the man and doing something positively magical with her tongue on the hollow of his neck it was clearly too late.

The woman had seemingly come out of nowhere, he hadn't even heard her advance. Sister in law or otherwise with a bombshell kissing on you, and imparting the exact affection and fire you wished to adorn your wife with, it is exceptionally difficult to cancel all thoughts pertaining to just that. That being said Leo ever the optimist found the silver lining. It was an opportunity to allow Phoebe to practice controlling her power. Having decided to _take the fall_ for the grater good he decided this was not adultery, rather a practical way to help Phoebe out. Leo let his emotions for Piper flow unreservedly determining if it became to explicit he would simply orb out.

"Listen to me Phoebe, I know you can hear me, try to take compartmentalize your emotions from those I'm eliciting."

Phoebe could hear Leo, how his voice caught uncomfortably, she could also see the incriminating evidence of where she had pulled the blood to the surface as she returned to the sinews on his neck for seconds because the fact of the matter was that no matter how terrible the little pieces of her felt, she'd been seized by the desires of another and her body chose to take Leos side, thus she was in some disastrous state of auto pilot. Conscious of what was happening and unable to do a damned thing about it.

"Do..not..let this...go any further." Phoebe pleaded choppily clearing in the midst of an internal battle as her petite hands aggressively commandeered Leo by the hips and pressed them into her own. Nevertheless this was progress, he heard Phoebe inside of himself inside of Phoebe? "You can do it Phoebe focus."

"Don't do this to me Leo" He might have stopped right there upon hearing her breathless plea of torture, but this was tough love, this was tough love he repeated to himself as her eyes began to water.

Come on, you can do it, separate the two, you can do it, Phoebe told herself, fighting every instinct she arrested herself, her lips thronged against Leos but she was unable to pull away.

Phoebe knew exactly what he was doing, and through the glisten of tears she could just make out the pledge of faith and encouragement in his eyes, and the sympathetic crease etched resolutely between his eyebrows. Even so the experience was no less traumatic, it was not only disgusting it was wrong on a myriad of levels for unquantifiable reasons and that alone prompted her to focus the further.

Physically her heart was doing acrobatics in her chest and hammering in a fearsome rush past her ears. Her every muscle having been roused, flexed and then locked to the degree she could feel the low burn beginning to cramp each grouping.

Leo was fully conscious of her mounted conflict and knew she was fighting fervently to regain control though she'd frozen as stiff as a board. She had enough volition to put herself on pause, and the stalemate was progress, now he was just waiting for her to take that final step and break away. He again flooded his mind with thoughts of Piper. Instantly Phoebes eyes bolted shut, a maze of aching creases that nearly spelled out Leos pain printed on her smooth brow, her whole body reeling over his emotions, she lost her breath against his lips.

Without a reasonable doubt she was apt to do so, "Let go Phoebe." Leo enjoined softly. Without a single clue as how to do so, Phoebe implored every ounce of her power to control the uncontrollable. She levitated several inches, then had a premonition. This process occurred several times, like power surges without a ground, each levitation perfunctory and the several incidental premonitions desultory. Then Phoebe visualized the power and just as she thought she might have gained control, from the top of the staircase, "What the hell are you doing!" Paige hissed in unfeigned bewilderment.

Talk about the mood killer of the century, as quickly as light leaves a room when one flicks a switch did the emotions in Leo and Phoebe meet a sudden death. Taking an involuntary step back in some absurd attempt to recover decency under that list stitch of hope guilt always supplies though one knows damn well the cats out of the bag and they don't stand a chance in heaven, Leo and Phoebe looked to Paige.

Scrambling, "We were, I was just-" "You were just what Leo?" Paige interjected cuttingly then raising an unbelievably high brow, "_You _aren't even supposed to be here."

Still catching her breath with her hands on her knees in repose "It's not what it looks like." Phoebe offered in a wheeze, wishing she could have said more but her lungs said that option was presently non negotiable.

"Please we can explain, Piper doesn't have to know about this right?" Leo winced knowing Paige had him by the, well I leave it to you to fill in the blank. Then he realized how incurring that had sounded and could literally see the conclusions being drawn within Paiges slow head shake.

Paige folded her arms, reasoning for Phoebe to have said it's not what it looks like, Leo had sounded rather guilty, the man couldn't lie anyway and was all together terrible in the art of dissembling.

"Paige please." Phoebe croaked out.

She shook her head in defiance, "No I've seen quite enough." Paige retorted glacially.

"Paige!" Phoebe demanded, but it was too late, the door had nearly slammed in the woman's scornful wake.

"This is a cluster fuck, oh sorry, I forgot to tell you swearing is a side effect of my new power."

Leo regarded Phoebe with a guilt ridden expression.

"I wouldn't mind the ability to orb right about now, huh?" Phoebe quipped with a half hearted smile.

"I'm not going anywhere. This is all my fault. It was my stupid idea, maybe I can talk to them." Leo suggested steadily troubleshooting all the while grasping at thin air.

"No" Phoebe resolved. "It's neither of our faults, you were just trying to help me Leo." Phoebe sighed laying a comforting hand against her forehead. "You should go, if Paige tells Piper you won't wanna be at the receiving end of it." Phoebe reasoned dryly.

"That's very kind of you but you don't deserve to take the brunt of it."

"No, no really, if she gets wind of this she'll be livid Leo, and unlike yourself Mr. I have the perk of being yelled at rather than being blown to smithereens ad nauseam." Phoebe chuckled. In a magical family one didn't kick the dog they blew it to kingdom come and Leo was warded off just by the thought of having his particles rearranged in Pipers more heated moments.

"I'll talk to Paige and you go up there and see if you can figure out what the Elders know about this power. Sound like a fair deal? Good." Phoebe stated with an impish air of triumph that tucked in her lips.

"This is insane" Leo remarked.

"Your not half bad, as a kisser I mean, I can see why Piper" Phoebe hesitated enjoying Leos bashfulness. "Your right that's not funny, too soon, not amusing at all." Phoebe digressed _sotto voce_, but couldn't restrain the damaging smile that tore impishly across her lips and exposed her K9s. Blushing Leo took to inspecting his shoes, but could not deny Phoebes sense of humor was infectious, however off base.

"You can't go up there looking like that Leo." Phoebe informed, licking her thumb and taking it to Leos face to expunge the crazily drawn lipstick all over it, for it didn't suit him one bit. Then she ordered his collar so it hid away the signature she'd left upon his neck with a dutiful nod. Phoebes considerate little action reinstated her right where Leo liked her, as his sister in law.

"Thanks. Don't lose hope Phoebe.", an electric azure glow imparted and Leo was gone.

Phoebe considered the empty basement in disbelief, thoroughly enervated but sleep would have to wait. She snatched up the hair tie wedged beneath the hoe and placed it into a front pocket of her lose rise, black pinstripe slacks, with the innuendo duly noted, then shot up the stairs on a collision course with Paige Matthews.


	3. Chapter 3: Ice Tea

A/N: Please take a moment to review the story. I'd like some feedback, if only to know people are enjoying my work :). Let me know what you think so far. If you are returning to read the new chapters as they come, and whatever else you'd like to say. Reviews please and thank you.

_**Empaths**_

_Chapter 3: "Do you want some Ice Tea? I want some Ice Tea. My throats really dry. Ice tea?"_

_Part 1: Duel on the Astral Plain_

"Paige, Paige." Phoebe whispered knocking anxiously on the half Whitelighters bedroom door. "I know your in there Paige, I can explain."

Still no reply.

Quietly, "Paige we need to talk" Phoebe stated earnestly.

Paige opened the door a sliver.

"Paige great!" Phoebe cried ecstatically, blitzing the door as she did.

Paige effected to retreat toward her bed as not to be ran over by her manic sister who leaned back against the door once having stormed it. Paige was not trying to be cruel, anyone who could receive Phoebe with wanton cruelty, was the kind of person who could drown sack of kittens, or crush a flower _jus cuz_ and most likely was a demon. At any rate her mortification was coupled by a sense of hurt and righteous indignation.

"Is that the reason the poor Empath has been locked away in the basement?" Paige hurled in her vexation.

"Yes, I mean no, I mean yes." Phoebe failed.

Paige placed a tried hand on her perfectly sculpted hip, cocked it like the weapon it was and appraised Phoebe with an expectant brow that mirrored her dwindling patience.

"Yea about that..." Phoebe started, then candidly went on to explain the entire ordeal.

"Essentially you mean to say Leo molested you?" Paige questioned from somewhere in the left field, sinking back on her bed where both individuals had seated, wearied from all the petty barbs collected.

"Excuse me?" Phoebe fired back.

"Psychically I mean. You did say you weren't okay with it after all, and he hardly needed to _motivate_ you erotically. He could have chosen any emotion and it would have worked right?"

"Well, yea." Phoebe admitted, deciding immediately she wouldn't go into detail about her personal feelings concerning the matter. That was something she would hash out with Leo.

Phoebe turned her head slightly, "Your not angry with me any longer, but your still angry Paige. Why are you angry?" Phoebe read her sisters inner most feelings with no more effort than she would _The San Francisco Chronicle_. Then shooting to her feet, "That son of a bitch!" Phoebe blared, startling Paige. "How dare he take advantage of her in a vulnerable state. That piece of, oh I'm going to give him a piece of my mind, parading around like some holier than thou Elder. Who can I punch, give me something to punch!" Phoebe declared then realized she was no longer sitting on the bed.

"Did I just call Leo a son of a bitch?" Phoebe asked, though she hardly wanted to hear the answer. Paige nodded leerily, this whole empathetic turrets thing as worrisome as it was ultimately confusing. Phoebe quickly unraveled the fist boring a whole into her left palm with a nervous little smile.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Paige added slowly.

"Oh honey that's how you feel." Phoebe sighed compassionately, rushing back to Paige, laying a hand on her shoulder and looking directly into her eyes. "I'm fine Paige, it'll be all right. I know your upset and unsure but I'm okay, okay? I'm sorry." Phoebe impressed contritely. Paige blinking slowly as she looked into those bright earnest dark brown eyes realized that Phoebe was dead serious. "Thanks?" Paige offered in return, watching Phoebe as she shut her eyes softly and bowed with this _Namaste_ like air.

"Your going to be okay then?" Phoebe asked mindfully. Paige nodded once.

"Good-That cad, why I oughta"

"Phoebe snap out of it! Get a hold of yourself woman!" Paige implored giving Phoebes shoulders one good shake, but what she meant to say was get a hold of your self Paige it's_ your_ enmity for Leo that has sent your sister into the depths of a bipolar disorder. Paige was painfully aware that Phoebes new power in short was looking into a mirror.

"See this is my point! I can't control it!" Phoebe stated in exasperation.

"Which is why I've taken the liberty to devise training protocol that we can use around the house?"

"House Training?" Phoebe rephrased with a hint of apprehension, she'd had enough 'training' for one day.

"Oh don't worry Pheebs I won't be asking you to fondle me or anything."

"Paige that's gross."

"Sorry. Anyway, they're simple training exercises. When I couldn't find an answer to help you out in the Book Of Shadows aside from, binding your powers, erasing your emotions, casting a spell so you would only feel the lighter emotions" Here Phoebes eyes widened in something like horror as Paige continued, "or putting you in crystal cage every time we have company, to avoid law suits with humans and the downfall of The Charmed Ones with demons, I thought maybe I was going about this all wrong, and the answer wasn't a magical one. In conclusion I found a very practical way to help you out." Paige smiled.

"Thanks Paige." Phoebe added in the cautious manner one employs upon discovering they just escaped some sort of magical dire straights.

"Don't worry it'll be like learning to drive a car. Piece of cake, I promise. And after you talk to Piper we can get things started." Paige smiled hoping she ghosted over the Piper part sufficiently, or not.

"You told Piper Paige!"

"You're not channeling are you?" Paige flinched.

"Nope. This is all unadulterated me! What did you say Paige?"

"I may have said something to the effect that I couldn't help Piper in the kitchen because I was temporarily blind and that I was making my way upstairs to puke?"

"Paige!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"Sorry." Paige cringe-shrugged, peering at a disgruntled Phoebe through slits.

Phoebe was already making her leave when she replied. "I have to talk to her and if she blows me up, you can bet your ass I'm haunting you for the rest of your life!" Phoebe threatened from somewhere just outside Paiges room. Continuing her muffled rant, down the hall through the sheetrock, "And then when you die of guilt from having gotten me killed, we'll resume our duel on the Astral Plain." Phoebe concluded from the top of the stairs. Paige fell back on the cool coverlet with a smile.

_Part 2: Mr. Daniel's_

Piper had just put down Wyatt his afternoon nap with a small sense of victory, for getting that boy on a sleep schedule to prevent his crankier moods had been no small task. Now she was hunched over, wielding dust pan and broom, left to tidy the wreckage of the battle field doubling as a sitting room. Dabbing the perspiration from her brow and slaving away. Attempting to salvage at least some form of presentability.

As she very quietly navigated through the house, Pipers frustration was not unlike a _GPS_ for Phoebe. She nearly expected to hear the very obnoxious posh voice of an automated British woman inform her: _Turn right onto apprehension way, route to your untimely death complete, your destination is on your left. Cremation or, well, that's really the only option with Piper._

"Now before you lose your temper if you could just keep in mind that I'm an Empath now, which makes the yelling part redundant, and I realize that your frustrated but allow me to explain." Rambling her way into the room, Phoebe jumped in headlong.

Piper turned, she could read Phoebe like a book. This must have something to do with what Paige had said in passing. Granted Piper had not really been listening. In any case the woman appeared at her wits end.

"I'm just gonna come out with it, honesty's the best policy right. Phhhewww." Phoebe started, swallowing hard and placing her hands at her side.

"I kissed Leo but only because he had gotten all hot and bothered about you, and it was really nice actually but I may have gone so far as to mildly grope him, but he was attempting to help me master my power, but Paige saw it, and Paige freaked out, and I know it looked really bad, and if it's any consolation it was revolting because he's like a brother to me, but if you see a hickey on his neck, yes I put it there, but against my will..." In her award winning run on, Phoebes voice had reached a decided fevered pitch by this point. "...but really it was all about you and I know what your thinking but it was in no way incestuous and I know you might have the same idea as Paige, that Leo and I had something going on on the side, but if you had a lie detector here you would know that wasn't true, and I will not object if you think a truth serum is necessary, I just wanted to tell you all this up front because though I'm good at lying its really unnerving and I don't have anything to hide anyway." Phoebe concluded in a thin breathless shadow of her voice, nearly light headed, then gasped.

"Please don't kill me, I really am a help around the house, and you know what you shouldn't be cleaning that mess. I mean really Piper, I made it, take a load off. Relax. Do you want some ice tea? I want some Ice Tea. my throats really dry. Ice Tea?"

Piper could contain it no more, she threw her head back and begin to laugh an ache into her side. Phoebe chuckled nervously, "It's priceless right? You're not mad are you? Piper? Piper?" she said seekingly. She wasn't sensing any aggression but she didn't put it past Piper.

Piper had never heard something so hilarious in all her days and was laughing so hard it was soundless. After some little time she began to compose herself with a musical sigh, dabbing the tears from her eyes.

"Oh that's very amusing." She chuckled, making the mistake of looking at Phoebe. Pointing at her with an accusatory finger while she suffered yet another bought of hysterics.

Phoebe uttered a silent prayer of relief.

"Well, that settles it then, I'm going to get some ice tea. You know, clean out my palette and stuff." Phoebe informed her forefinger giving a lil swirl as she regarded her mouth.

"Wait right there missy." Piper stated in a thoroughly amused tone, deciding Phoebe and Leo should hang out more often if this was the reward. She sobered herself as Phoebe turned around trying to look a trifle less nervous then she felt, but her eyes shifted from left to right and she appeared a deer in headlights all the same.

"Why did you call for Leo?" Piper asked. The mirth ebbed from Pipers features when she saw her sisters expression alter.

"In short, I love my family." Phoebe replied. Prompted by Pipers brow that said she preferred the unabridged version, "What happened this morning, what might have happened this morning." Phoebe started. "I have a nephew to think about, his future, and his mommy. My sisters, this whole Charmed shtick. I called Leo to see if the Elders might have any morsel of information they'd like to share with me. You know, like, if I'm going to turn evil any time soon. And I know you asked that Leo stay away and I respect that, but I needed this." Phoebe confessed, wiping a tear from her cheek and striving to appear less affected.

The Cold War between Piper and Leo was one thing but the fact Phoebe had called for Leo did not anger Piper in the least bit. He'd been their Whitelighter and that was like one member of a church having an issue with a pastor, in which you wouldn't ask the pastor to cease tending to his flock when their in need. Nor would you ask the congregation to severe ties with their pastor. Leo's relationship with her sisters had always been a good thing. In a world where the majority of the human race thinks of Chris Angel when they hear the word magic, you need all the support you can get, and Leo had been and for the foreseeable future would continue to be just that.

"Phoebe I don't want you to ever feel like you're going behind my back if you need to speak with Leo. If he's helping you through this that's all I need to know. Just try to keep it PG okay?"

Phoebe nodded with a wistful laugh.

After talking with Piper for some little time it became evident that despite her unmoved if not nonchalant cadence her feelings where quite the reverse. She was more nervous than she appeared. She feared for Phoebes sanity, for Wyatt's safety, for either of the two being harmed, being exposed to evil, and worse still; turning evil. What if Phoebe did go rouge in the underworld and they failed to find her How much longer would Paige and Piper be able to get by juggling all their Wiccan duties so long as a disenfranchised Phoebe was acting as a magical benchwarmer? These where the most pressing, thus detectable issues Phoebe garnered, whilst flipping through Pipers emotions like an edition of _US Weekly_. All the while Piper played it masterfully. Her charade ostensibly unbothered, calm and collected. In truth Pipers knowledge that Phoebe was an Empath, hadn't altered Piper's proclivity for repressing her feelings, holding her tongue as necessary and was still so new that she was still conceiving how that applied to her daily relationship with Phoebe. In any case Pipers unchecked trepidation defiantly had exacerbated things. Phoebe could only yield to doubt. Why wasn't Piper speaking candidly, confiding in her as per usual? Owning up to her emotions? Phoebe did entertain the notion that Piper was in denial and could possibly remain unaware of how she truly felt until a fitful nights sleep enforced some introspection. Nevertheless, Phoebe made the decision not to call her out. Not because it was the considerate thing to do versus hacking into her sisters emotional database, but simply because she was too damned worn to do otherwise. Phoebe followed suit and played it cool, going through the motions that gave no indication she knew any more than what an intuitive individual might obtain face value.

There Piper and Phoebe where being totally dishonest with each other. Phoebe cleaned up the mess and straightened up the room just as she said she would and Piper rewarded her by bringing her a tall glass of the coveted ice tea. However, to keep up this rouse Phoebe returned to the kitchen and doctored hers, it was now more correctly the most heady blend of grassroots Long Island Ice Tea every fathomed. Pipers acclaimed Ice Tea barely detectable amidst the _Skyy_, _Bombay_ and _Los Arango_. And how hypocritical it was since she'd just given some advice sanctimoniously advocating the contrary to a man who'd written in beneath the name:_ Jack Daniel's, Heartbroken in the Tenderloin_. He'd went on to disclose that in order to cope with his emotional issues he prescribed himself enough Gentlemen Jack to pickle his liver in no time and alluded to the fact other substances where at hand. Rather than contemplating if this was a healthy way to _deal_ Phoebe simply noted that _Mr. Daniel's_ if anything was right. Alcohol had it's merits. Most prominently it did lessen life's nefarious blows. Things where becoming marginally more tolerable. Chemical reaction or otherwise it was a lie she was willing to buy. At the very least her sensory instruments reacted to it straight away and she was no longer acquiring any pronounced emotional readings. She stored away the knowledge that the seemingly invincible power of Empathy was indeed susceptible to _the good stuff._

An addled Phoebe still seeking absolution had migrated with Piper and Wyatt to the sun room. Of course accompanied by her trusty tall glass and the (steadily disappearing) pitcher of ice tea, and commenced collecting all Wyatt's toy trucks and stuffed animals and returning them to their respective basket. The early afternoon sun drenched the suitably labeled room in gold bands that complimented Wyatt's flaxen hair, brightened his crystal blue eyes, warmed the complexion of his smooth little face and gave reason for Piper to pause and just appreciate how handsome her little angel was. She never had, and doubted she ever would be able to gaze at Wyatt without seeing his daddy Leo, and vice versa, and she nearly hated him for that. _Nearly_. For with one glance at Wyatt, a product of love, a spitting image of his father, and the greatest gift Piper could have ever received, it was no great wonder she could never bring herself to hate Leo for assisting in the creation of their Magnum Opus as a coupling. She hated what he'd done, and she hated that he was missing so much of his sons life. She abhorred the thought that Wyatt was going to be another statistic. The kid without the father figure. Wyatt deserved so much more. How the Elders could do this to this innocent little creature, not to mention the Twice Blessed Child she'd never know. She loathed all this with a maternal wrath but she couldn't hate Leo. She had vowed to be Wyatt's pillar of strength, to meet his every need and to never speak unkindly of Leo in his company no matter how much she resented the man. She'd come from a broken home and history was not going to repeat itself. Wyatt didn't ask to be born into this mess, and he certainly was not going to have to grow up choosing sides.

"I'm glad you like my ice tea, but slow down your going to make yourself sick." Piper laughed. Phoebe drained her third glass, and fought back the urge to blow out a fiery breath before she spoke. "What can I say? It's the best in the world." Phoebe stated, her voice a tad strained due to the burn in her chest.

"Ow!" Piper exclaimed, "Wyatt we don't pinch. No pinching." She reprimanded failing to maintain her dropped brow on count Piper had no hope to defend herself from Wyatt's giggle. She was rubbing her arm, the kid had damnably strong fingers she'd give him that. She noticed Phoebe didn't react. Phoebe lagging, noted that Piper had noted Phoebes unconventional imperviousness. In all truth she'd felt it, but currently Phoebe was absolutely loaded and such was the degree of _sauciness_ that she may have required being pinched by a school of lobsters before she would have thought to care. Phoebe then simulated a sharp breath and gave her left bicep one good rub.

"I was trying not to give in but what can you do eh?" Phoebe sighed prevaricating her way through her delayed reaction.

"See your making progress." Piper commended softly then looking to Wyatt with feigned austerity "You can't pinch Mommy without pinching Aunt Phoebe." She informed, turning him around to face Phoebe, "What did she ever do to you Mr.? Huh, huh?" Piper stated her voice melting as it often did when she spoke to Wyatt.

Unexpectedly Phoebe channeled Wyatt's emotions and her features fell sadly. "Awww it's all right Wyatt. Cheer up kiddo. I promise it'll be okay. Aunt Phoebe loves you, yes she does." Phoebe stated, willing to do anything to make her lil nephew smile, and making silly faces did just that.

"Phoebe what are you channeling from him?" Piper ventured warily placing motherly concern over the hunch the answer would pain her.

"You can't blame yourself Piper. He's a tough lil guy, your a tough lil guy, right Wyatt?"

"Phoebe?" Piper followed incredulously.

Phoebe in no way enjoyed being the barer of bad news, more so when she knew it would be her relation of Wyatt's emotions that opened the barely scabbing wound in Pipers heart again. "Phoebe I'm serious." Piper prompted. "Okay, but it's nothing you don't already know." Phoebe explained considering Wyatt. "He's really sad, and he misses his Daddy and he doesn't understand. He thinks his Daddy is lost just like Scruffy." Phoebe informed, scruffy being the little plush puppy Wyatt had lost somewhere within the playground at Golden Gate Park last month.

"I'm sorry Wyatt." Piper whispered kissing him on the head and closing her eyes in failure. _This is why I don't tell you these things, it's not your fault. Now stop blaming yourself woman! _Phoebe would have liked to have said.

"You gonna be all right?"

"Yea like you said, he's tough. Anyway Mom's gonna leave you with aunty Paige because she's got go to the club and make money for the therapy you'll need for the rest of your life." Piper stated cynically in a sweet tone.

"Piper don't say that." Phoebe returned, sensing Pipers pain, which instantly made her think of Ice Tea. "Oh he doesn't know what where talking about." Piper dismissed. As the buzzed do, Phoebe starred blankly for a moment.

"Well I've got to get back to work." she rushed out, stepping forward then leaning down to kiss Wyatt.

Having picked up the strong scent of alcohol "Phew woman you'd think I spiked the ice tea." Piper quipped.

"It's a new mouthwash you know, the burn means its working and all, gotta stay on of top of dental hygiene, don't want a cavities." Phoebe rambled out as she departed with the pitcher in hand, escaping Pipers pain as fast as unsuspiciously possible.

To hell with it Phoebe thought, taking a swig from the rum bottle to help along her practical method of power binding before she absconded to the basement with her head comfortably swimming.

_Part 3: How? Why? When?_

Causing Phoebe to stumble backwards and sending a million thoughts threw her head was the Elder who appeared directly before her. In her opinion their presence was never a good sign. Alone, in a basement. He could reduce her to ash, sweep her away, and who would know the half of it? "Phoebe Haliiwell." The African possibly American gentleman of advanced age addressed judiciously, clad in the customary robe, ostensibly fashioned of the cheapest polyester. "If this has to do with Leo I don't know anything. And even if I did, I refuse to help the ones responsible for tearing apart my family." Phoebe stated in a businesslike manner, her shoulders naturally setting defensively.

"I'm not here for Leo, Phoebe. I'm here for you." The elder returned, his rich bass voice not dissimilar to James Earl Jones'. There wasn't a more inopportune moment for an Elder to drop by for an impromptu interview. Phoebe was decidedly laced and rather than oblige his cryptic statement, of which she knew would only continue, she chose to get straight to the point. "What do you want with me?" she retorted in the human equivalent of a dogs warning growl.

"This morning did you not nearly assist The Pressure Demon in killing your sisters?" he inquired rhetorically. "You know I had no control over what happened this morning." Phoebe returned, crossing her arms. "We've been lenient with you Phoebe but I've come to caution you. We will not remain so if you continue to allow your actions to be governed by personal gain."

Phoebes lips parted in offense. "Personal gain?" she echoed in disbelief.

"Yes. Instead of accepting your destiny as an Empath you have considered only yourself. Making decisions based upon how a circumstance will affect you."

Phoebe shook her head in shock, more so indignation.

"Have you not separated yourself from your sisters? Thus endangering the power of three? Most importantly, ignored your duties as a Charmed One? By refusing to accept your new power, you threaten to throw off the balance of the greater good. That, Phoebe Halliwell is the basis of my visit." He stated commandingly.

"That's not fair." She nearly slurred. "I'm handling this the best I can, and-" He held up a hand silencing Phoebes objection. "By getting inebriated? This is not a game Phoebe. Your focus should not be upon seeking out ways to stifle your power." He hissed judiciously.

Phoebe felt completely exposed and uncomfortably defenseless. This huge demigod towering over, and growling in her face. "Did you ever think it was a mistake on your part? That I might not be able to handle this power? It hasn't done one ounce of good since I received it, and you've come down here to berate me, when I've been trying my damnedest to figure this all out and not die or kill my sisters in the process." Phoebe stated heatedly, the tendons in her neck subcutaneously visible. "I don't need to remind you that Prue nearly died from Empathy." She added relenting a tick, sure any second now he'd smite her for questioning his authority.

She flinched as he waved his hand. "What did you just do?" She hastened to ask, suddenly entirely sober. "Personal gain Phoebe, it will not be tolerated. Do not try that again." He stated warningly. "Wait you can do that? I thought you guys had no control over self inflicted wounds." Phoebe ventured curiously, eliciting a subtle smile from the man. "I am an Elder, not a Whitelighter." he simply supplied. "What am I supposed to do? You do realize I'm going to keep making this mistake if I don't even know what qualifies as screwing up to guys." Phoebe reasoned with a measure of pleading.

"Phoebe you must embrace your destiny as an Empath." he offered cryptically, further exasperating Phoebe.

"Yea I got that part. How? Why? When? I'm assuming there's a deadline before you come down here to smite me?" she rushed out.

His brow knotted in confusion.

"I'm a human being." Phoebe stated desperately to his blank expression. "We tend to work better when motivated not threatened." Phoebe explained, as if conversing with an alien. The fact these guys where protecting humanity was a damned scary notion. "Great now your pissed, and don't even try to deny it." She stated throwing up a hand in frustration. He wasn't _pissed _but he would admit to an extent of vexation. He simply was not used to working with such finite minds.

"Phoebe there's a great evil coming and The Power of Three are the only ones who stand a chance to stop it. You need to be ready for it." He imparted ominously, sending a chill down Phoebes spine. "I suppose you can't give me the details?" Phoebe returned nervously.

"I have them not myself, _we_ only know of it's future existence."

"Okay, well wave your hand again but this time give me control over my power." Phoebe stated faithfully. He chuckled. "I can't do that. Phoebe, you are the only one with that ability. We will be monitoring you and you do not want to cross paths with the next Elder." He stated heedfully.

"Great so next time your sending in the muscle. Wouldn't it be counterproductive to reduce me to a pile of ash right before the debut of this _huge_ evil that only the Charmed Ones can vanquish?" She countered through a confident smile. She knew the Elders talked big, however, in reality their words whereas hollow as the clouds they hid behind or whatever they did when they where scared. And not without praying that the Charmed Ones would stop the next big threat come to devastate humanity. He nodded as if to say point taken. "Wait" Phoebe reproached causing him to orb back in, these guys literally had no propriety. "You just dropped a bomb on me, you can't leave." Phoebe conceded. "I need some guidance, can you at least grant me that?"

He gave no reply.

"Fine. Clearly your leaving me to my own devices. The ones you've come all the way down here to tell me you hate." Phoebe prompted, wondering if the stoic man with a hint intrigue laden deep in his eyes had any clue of reverse psychology. In defeat, The Charmed Ones gaze hit the cold slab of concrete they stood upon. She wasn't getting anywhere. "Well, maybe you'll have something to say when my sisters call because I've turned evil." Phoebe sighed, shaking her head with misgiving, before offering him a shrug that might have meant, _well I guess you can go now. Perhaps you'll be of greater service elsewhere._

"That is why-"

"Yea you've said it three times now, I need to embrace my power, I get it. Unfortunately what I don't get _is_ my power. How can I make that clearer to you?" Phoebe interrupted. "Hey, if we need Empathy to fight off this new evil, if you have the power, couldn't you grant us a temporary, or permanent power exchange? Give it to Paige, she loves all this magic stuff." Phoebe mused searchingly. If it were possible it was certainly an offer she'd jump at.

At length, "Nice, the silent treatment." the witch muttered under her breath. What did her want her say? To prove? What did he expect? What was he waiting for? He was just standing there, like a statue, all 6 ft. and an arguable 4 inches of him. It should have been awkward, but for the fact it was just odd.

"Look I've seen mistakes in the grand design before, perhaps this is one." Phoebe speculated wearily. The Elder had been observing her, he had a report to give after all. Phoebe Halliwell was not exactly the preconceived notion of the powerful witch he'd expected to find. He was a trifle irritated by her behavior, but he could not deny her moxie was an attractive human quality. She was vulnerable, slightly frayed at the edges, strong in ways he hadn't expected. More charming than he would have liked to admit, passionate, opinionated and uniquely sincere. And for several of those reasons, and a great more, he would try his hand at this _motivational_ thing.

"Phoebe you were born with a penchant for evil that does not reside within your sisters. It is a vulnerability you will always struggle with, which is why Cole Turner was able to manipulate you. He would not have succeed had it been with one of your sisters. This is why you've received this new power Phoebe. So it does not happen again. So you may read another's intentions, guard yourself, and protect The Charmed Ones from the evil that is drawn to The Power Of Three. This power you've been bestowed is for you and you alone Phoebe Halliwell." alas he informed.

Phoebe was speechless, she could hardly conceive _they _or whomever had done something kind for her.

"If that is not incentive enough to master your power, the fact remains that until you master it you will be exceptionally vulnerable to evil Phoebe. If you do not take charge of it, as you saw this morning, _someone else will_." he stressed pointedly. "The future is not fixed Phoebe, at least not all of it and that threat that lay on the horizon is subject to alter. I trust you will make the right decisions Phoebe." He concluded, sinking back onto his heels whilst Ms. Halliwell raked her fingers through her pixie with a thoughtful sigh.

Reflecting, "Well, that was a hell of a lot to take in." she informed after a well exercised minute of silent rumination ebbed into the past.

"Thank you." Phoebe said softly, extending a hand with a smile. "By the way. I didn't get your name?"

What a queer question he thought.

"I am a harkening Elder by the name of Jacob." He informed shaking her hand.

"Thank you Jacob." She smiled, looking up into his greenish hazel almond shaped eyes.

"You're, most welcome." Jacob returned unsurely. Human pleasantries forced him to cast his mind back over a thousand years to when he himself was human.

He drew a pace back and just as he began to orb. "I'm human, I'm going to screw up again, it's what we do, I'm just warning you." Phoebe announced, causing him to quirk a slight smile as he ascended. And then he was gone.

It didn't take long for Phoebe to realize, that when Jacob was referencing this great evil he was inadvertently disclosing the fact that, not even the Elders knew which team she would be playing on when it debuted. Which meant it was of equal probability that she would master her powers or her powers were to be mastered by another. However, he had said the future was subject to change. What was she to take from that? Would she be there at all? Would the Power Of Three? Would Empathy? You could run circles for the rest of your life with such thoughts, all the while banging your head on the resolutely low ceiling of human comprehension. The crux of the matter remained, that singular notion that would always antagonize her. She could turn evil, and consequently do the biding of this _great evil _coming down the pike. Should that happen through the unsuspecting, uncontrollable, series of events like all things did, it sounded permanent this time, and that was unacceptable. In any event this day couldn't suck much worse.


End file.
